Biography

Neelam Gill is a British-Indian fashion model. She appeared in Vogue in 2016 and worked for Burberry and Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014. In June 2023, she came into the limelight when she was spotted dating Leonardo DiCaprio, an American actor and film producer.

Neelam Gill was born Neelam Johal on 27 April 1995 (age 28 years; as of 2023) in Coventry, United Kingdom. (“Neelam Johal’s crazy modelling story”)

A childhood picture of Neelam Gill

Physical Statistics

Height (approx.): 5′ 10″ 

Weight (approx.): 50 kg

Figure Measurements (approx.): 32-26-34

Family/Parents

Neelam belongs to a Sikh family. According to some media sources, her grandparents belonged to Punjab; however, her parents were born and raised in the UK. Her grandparents followed the Sikh religion.

Neelam Gill (extreme right) posing with her parents and sisters

Her stepfather’s name is Harpreet Gill. Her mother, Rajan Gill, works as a makeup artist in the UK. She has two younger sisters named Jasmine Gill and Millian (stepsister).

Neelam Gill in her teenage

Her parents divorced when she was young. Later, she adopted the surname of her stepfather and changed her name from Neelam Johal to Neelam Gill, as she had no contact with her biological father. In 2014, in one of her Instagram posts, she stated that she was raised by her stepfather, and she loved him the most. She narrated the reason for changing her name in an Instagram post.

“Before people start asking why I have changed my second name from Johal to Gill, I thought it was better for me to explain. My parents divorced when I was young, and I have no contact with my biological father. The man in the picture is my ‘stepdad’ but in my heart he is my real Dad because he has been the one who has raised me and loved me like no other. He is truly one in a million and I’ve been meaning to change my last name for a long time because I’m proud to be his daughter.”

 

Relationships/Boyfriends/Affairs

1. In 2015, Neelam Gill was in a relationship with the English singer Zayn Malik. According to media news, they first met in London and then kept on contacting each other. (“Meet Zayn Malik’s new girl, Indian origin Neelam Gill”) 

2. In June 2023, Neelam was spotted hanging out with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio in London in June 2023, which sparked rumours that the two were dating. (“Hindustan Times”)

3. She was also rumoured to be dating Indian actress, Amy Jackson.

Career

When she was 14 years old, the Models1 agency approached her for modelling assignments. Models1 is considered Europe’s top fashion agency. Soon, she began working for them. At the age of 18, she became a professional model. During the same time, she was approached for modelling by Burberry (a luxury British clothing, bag, accessory, and fragrance brand). Burberry then confirmed her as their exclusive global model for London Fashion Week. According to Neelam, before Burberry, she had never walked the ramp for anyone.

Neelam Gill (third from right) posing for Burberry

She said in a media talk,

I’d never walked down a catwalk before, not even at Models1. I’d never even done a show!”

She reached some amazing milestones! 

American rapper Kanye West chose Neelam to star in his New York Fashion Week Adidas presentation in 2014. In the following year, she was chosen to represent the well-known company, Abercrombie & Fitch.

Neelam Gill was appointed as the brand ambassador of Blink Brow Bar in 2015 because she believed in following the traditional Indian approach to keep neat eyebrows. She is best known for walking the Ashish presentation on September 19, 2016, as part of London Fashion Week ASpring/Summer seasons 2017.

Neelam Gill while walking the ramp in Ashish Show during London Fashion Week ASpring Summer collections 2017

A few more facts there! 

In the same year, Neelam Gill became the first British Indian to represent L’Oréal Paris as its brand ambassador.

After that, in 2019, she participated in the London Fashion Week runway walk for “Oxfam Fashion Fighting Poverty Autumn/Winter” at Ambika p3, London. In 2020, Marie Claire, the French-British magazine, appointed Neelam Gill as its first digital cover star.

She was picked to exhibit SS20 fashion and beauty at Dior. Later, several well-known magazines and tabloids including Stylist Magazine, Vogue India Magazine, and Harrods Magazine featured Neelam on their cover pages. As a fashion model, Neelam has represented many commercial brands like Dior, Puma, and Western Union.

Neelam while walking ramp for DIOR

Interesting Facts About Neelam Gill

1. According to Neelam, she was born in Coventry; however, she resides in London because of work. 

2. During her school days, when she was thirteen years old, she was approached by several fashion agencies for modelling work. In a media conversation, Neelam revealed that when she was young, she didn’t look like a model. She said that in Coventry there were no modelling agencies, so she didn’t pay attention to them.

Neelam at the age of 14

3. British model Suki Waterhouse, along with Neelam Gill, walked the runway for British Airways’ Dreamliner service that began from London to New Delhi in 2015 and celebrated the launch of the new aircraft while wearing lehengas.

4. In 2015, Neelam Gill discussed bullying issues at school and on social media with body confidence activist Harnaam Kaur (The Bearded Lady) on a renowned media platform. Neelam often discusses bullying, racism, and depression issues on her vlog ‘rants.’

Neelam Gill with Harnaam Kaur

Stay tuned, more facts down below: 

5. In 2016, Neelam Gill was invited to Kensington Palace in the UK to meet Kate and William.

Neelam Gill while talking to Kate

6. Neelam Gill travelled to India with singer Justin Bieber in 2017 as part of his Purpose World Tour.

Neelam Gill with Justin Bieber

7. In 2019, Neelam Gill was one of the seven young activists who were featured in the October issue of British Vogue. In the following year, she was included in the Sikh Peoples Choice Award’s “The Sikh 100 under 30 list.”

Neelam Gill at the Sikhs Awards Show

8. Soon after Neelam walked the ramp for Burberry, she became the first Indian-origin fashion model to be featured in its campaign.

Neelam Gill while posing for Burberry

Gill’s fact list continues…

9. Neelam likes watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and The Great British Bake Off television shows. According to her, she loves to listen to the singers Drake, Kanye West, and Jay-Z. She likes travelling to Brazil, New York, and Maldives in her leisure time. She often reads the books of Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-American novelist.

10. In June 2021, TEDx Talks, a renowned online motivational speaking platform, invited Neelam to deliver a speech about ”Resilience & Recovery.”

Neelam Gill while speaking at TEDx

11. In May 2023, she attended the Cannes film festival, where she was spotted crossing paths with Leonardo DiCaprio. Leonardo attended Cannes for the screening of his film, Killers of the Flower Moon.

Gill posing at Cannes film festival in 2023

12. According to Neelam, when she began her career as a model, she suffered from depression and anxiety. In a conversation with a media house, she disclosed that her fellow students used to bully her for her dark complexion, and they often teased her by calling her ‘paki.’ She said that listening to the word ‘paki’ was normal for her.

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